Help Save adultBasic
More than 42,000 Pennsylvanians could lose access to affordable health care in the coming days.
Those enrolled in the adultBasic program face a difficult choice ahead: either lose their coverage all together or enroll in another health care plan being pushed by the Corbett administration that includes premiums as much as 400% higher than those offered by adultBasic and dramatically reduced benefits. In short, they will pay much more for much less coverage.
This alternative plan, “Special Care,” was initially created by the state’s Blue Cross plans in 1992 as a “low-cost,” limited-benefit plan. It only covers hospital care for major services, provides limited coverage for outpatient care and restricts patients to four doctor visits per year.
Why is access to adultBasic in danger?
Pennsylvania’s Blue Cross plans have contributed funding toward adultBasic as part of their charitable mission for the past five years, during which time their surpluses have increased from $3.5 billion in 2002 to $5.6 billion in 2009 -- that’s a growth rate two-and-a-half times more than that of wages in Pennsylvania! Despite this unsurpassed revenue growth, the agreed-to funding plan has ended, and it looks like it will not be brought up for renegotiation.
Considering their tremendous revenue accumulation over the past five years, the Blues could fully fund adultBasic - without any state funds - by using less than 3% of their combined surpluses.
What can you do to help?
- Use the links on the right side of this page to share your story about how this affects you and your family.
- Contact your local legislator to require the Blues to continue fulfilling their charitable missions and preserve their tax-exempt status by contributing to adultBasic or come up with another affordable option.
- Put pressure on decision makers by telling them that the “Special Care” plan is unacceptable – in reality, it’s a plan that offers care that is anything but special.
Please send in your story and make your voice heard. Denying 42,000 Pennsylvanians access to health care is not a step foward for our Commonwealth, it's several steps back.
